Panthers have won four in a row, if you throw out the most recent meeting – the 49ers’ 23-10 win at Carolina in the 2014 playoffs.
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Sunday’s started the game as promising as their season opener, when they blanked the Los Angeles Rams 28-0.
The 49ers (1-1) now find themselves in a similar situation as past year: dominate on “Monday Night Football” at home to open the season, then give up over 40 points in a cross-country trip six days later. Gabbert ended going 22/35 for 170 yards including 9 runs for 43 yards.
Davis will miss Sunday’s game at the Carolina Panthers with a concussion, the team announced Friday afternoon. Kelly knew what triggered this cross-country defeat, and so did the players who echoed their coaches’ hushed tone in their glum locker room.
D-. Blaine Gabbert completed just 47 percent of his passes, averaged just 6.8 yards per throw and compiled a pathetic passer rating of 64.9 even though he had forever in the pocket to throw.
Fozzy Whittaker ran for 100 yards on 16 carries and had three catches for 31 yards. Carolina’s home-field winning streak sits at 13 games.
The 49ers have held the Panthers to 20 total points in the team’s last two meetings. Wide receiver Quinton Patton provided a big block on All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly along the sideline to wipe out the last defender who had a chance to prevent the touchdown. Memo to Jim: Ward can’t cover big wide receivers. During the third quarter, O’Neil made Ward shadow Benjamin, an absurd assignment that led to two quick touchdowns for Carolina. Carolina’s defense is stout up front, but has a lot of young cornerbacks in the mix after the team let Josh Norman walk this offseason.
Early on, Newton and the Panthers were trending rapidly in the other direction from special, with his first pass attempt on the second play from scrimmage intercepted by Antoine Bethea off a ricochet. The 49ers settled for Phil Dawson’s 29-yard field goal.
And speaking of the Aggies, they get five touchdowns on the ground and two more in the air, crushing King’s, 49-14 improving to 3-0 on the season.
B- Secondary: Rookie CB James Bradberry gave up a first-half TD to Torrey Smith on a route when he was supposed to have help underneath. But expect Newton to distribute the ball more evenly among Benjamin, Devin Funchess, Philly Brown and Ted Ginn Jr., who loves facing his former team. But I give this group a higher grade than the D-line because Ray Ray Armstrong and Gerald Hodges both forced fumbles which the 49ers recovered. Eli Harold scooped it up and returned it to the 17-yard line. The Panthers racked up 529 yards on offence.
-Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart left the game in the first quarter due to a hamstring injury and did not return. If Dorsey plays, it will be his first contest since tearing his ACL on November 22.
Next play, Newton up the middle for 2 yards and a first down. Kelvin Benjamin led in receiving with 91 yards and a touchdown in six catches while Greg Olsen had 73 yards in seven receptions. That was the longest scoring play of Olsen’s 10-year career.
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Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, now an analyst on NFL Network, posited a controversial theory on Sunday morning that Cam Newton’s lack of protection from officials could be related to his spat with referee Ed Hochuli in 2015.
